Vancouver school kids stage anti-bullying flash mob at a Giants game

Pacific Coliseum turned into a sea of pink mid-way through the Sunday night game between Vancouver Giants and Everett Silvertips.

Close to 2,000 students from 17 Vancouver area schools filled the upper section for a special flash mob, wearing their pink “acceptance” shirts to spread the message about bullying.

This is the third such flash mob for organizers – former David Lloyd George elementary principal Mette Hamaguchi and MacCorkindale Elementary principal Darren Mitzel.

Mitzel says they got the idea for an anti-bullying flash mob after a Pitt Meadows teenager was allegedly sexually assaulted at a rave party in 2010 and pictures of the assault ended up on social media.

“We thought, what can we do to use social media in a positive light?” says Mitzel. “That is how this whole thing spawned up.”

The flash mob was set to the song ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ by British boy band One Direction, which Mitzel says they chose for its lyrics.

Two former Sir Winston Churchill Secondary graduates who now go to UBC choreographed the entire routine.

Participating schools received training videos, and students began practicing their dance moves all the way back in November.

“Everybody was practicing in their gyms, and we only had two practice times,” says Mitzel. “They were pretty blown away. It was such a great experience for them. These are the kinds of things that kids will remember. This will be the highlight of the year, and it will forever be online.”

Mitzel says Vancouver Giants sponsored the seats for participating students, and have been very supportive of the idea.

“They were really into it, and saw this as a really good cause. They got the players involved, and the comments from them were that this was really amazing.”